One of the first stops Discover Puerto Rico took us on our first day was one of the many Coffee Haciendas : Hacienda Tres Ángeles. Many people are not aware that Puerto Rico was once the fourth largest coffee producer in the world. Puerto Ricans love their coffee and I can attest, as I enjoyed my fair share of Café con leche’s while on the Island.

The Hacienda is located in Puerto Rico’s mountains, a relatively short drive from where we were staying in Rincon (1.5 hours) and is only 3 hours from San Juan. The drive is awesome as you pass various little towns and watch the vegetation transform into lush forest. In fact, almost 56% of the island is covered by forest, so the trees, plants, and fauna are plenty and beautiful!

Once you arrive at the Hacienda you are completely in awe at the views from the main deck overlooking the grounds where the coffee is grown. For miles all you can see is greenery and rolling hills. It is hard to find the words to describe this scenery. Spectacular and impressive just do no do it justice. If you love nature and it inspires you I implore you to visit Hacienda Tres Ángeles!

We did the shortened tour because we had a lot to pack into the day, but you can do the full tour that takes you on a stroll through the grounds where you can see the coffee actually growing. We also were able to see the machinery that processes the coffee as well as the roaster where they do all roasting in house.

What I loved most about Hacienda Tres Ángeles (besides the view) was that everything was done on site. From growing, to picking, processing, roasting, and brewing. This is the meaning of true farm to table. And once your Cortadito is ready (shot of Espresso with a touch of milk) you can sip it while overlooking the Hacienda. It really doesn’t get better than that; in my opinion. I would be lying if I didn’t say this was one of the highlights of the trip. Although there are so many it is hard to rank them. Absolutely a fantastic way to start the trip!

After leaving the Hacienda we drove to Ponce. Along the way we stopped at this beautiful colorful bridge: Puente Colorido De Adjuntas. One thing I have learned about Puerto Rico is that the people are really into colors and murals, which I love. Everything is painted bright and vibrant colors. We learned the history of the bridge while overlooking its beauty. About 20 years ago, Hurricane Georges knocked down their ground bridge for crossing the river. This left the family stranded and unable to cross the river. The owner of the house took matters in his own hands, and built the bridge so his neighbors and family would be able to cross. He built it high enough that future hurricanes would not affect it. During Hurricane Maria, a few boards were knocked off but the bridge remains.

The story was very inspiring because it shows our will to survive as humans, and to come up with solutions when faced with problems and hardships. Rather than feeling sorry for himself (which is something I might have done) he used his hands and his wits and fixed his problem.

Being able to walk across the bridge was very cool. I guess I haven’t crossed many bridges but it swayed more than I was expecting. Standing in the middle overlooking the river and the lovely colorful house was really an amazing experience. I am very thankful our lovely tour IslaCaribePR took us here to see. I defineitly recommend viewing this wonderful bridge.

Well guys this is the first of many blog posts on Puerto Rico. Definitely make sure to subscribe so that you get notifications whenever a new post is up. I will be detailing Ponce, San Juan, Cheese Making and more so you will not want to miss out. But beware there is a high likelihood that it will inspire you to start booking your own trip to Puerto Rico so keep that in mind 🙂

Salud!